Once again, congratulations!

That was the theme for the first day of medical school. Almost every presenter was congratulating the class on passing the rigors of the GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test) and the interviews. We were reminded of the roles and responsibilities that we have chosen to undertake over the next four years and beyond. Congratulations, congratulations and congratulations.

Last night, I didn't get much sleep as I was waking up every hour on the hour - I didn't want to miss the first session. Regardless, I made it 30 minutes before the day-long session started. I met some really nice people (in the beginning they are all very nice) and listened to presenters talk about certain programmes.

The very first presenter was the Dean of the School of Medicine. He was quite serious whilst telling us to enjoy the next four years of becoming a doctor. He said that there were 310 students in the class and of that, 300 will graduate and continue to do post-graduate medical training. We were becoming apprentices of this noble profession, we should be proud of where we have come and where we will be going. Furthermore, we should be prepared to undertake a very vigorous and demanding programme, while learning more about our learning styles and integrating the knowledge that we will be learning.

There were sessions on the bonded medical programme and rural medical scholarships (both of which are only meant for Australian/New Zealander citizens and premanent residents). The highlight of the day was having the introduction to Population and Preventive Health domain (we have four domains in which the course is being presented: Basic and Clinical Sciences; Interpersonal and Clinical Skills, Clinical Reasoning and Practice; Population and Preventive Health; and Ethics, Personal and Professional Development). We had our first lecture in the Population and Preventive Health domain and it was quite informative. The lecture was on how to assess, epidemiologically, the health needs of a community. It was quite basic but it was indeed a foreshadowing of something great that is still to come.

Of the 310 students, there are a number of international students. Half of them are Canadian students, the remainder (of those that I have met) come from the USA, Brunei, and Singapore.

Wow...I cannot believe that I have started medical school.

On that note of medical school, one of my best friends, Ruth, told me something that deeply resonatated within me (and there are some things that I will be adding to this). She said that the biggest piece needs to be placed first. I reckon that some of you are scratching your heads and thinking, "what the hell does that mean?" Well, it's quite simple actually. Your life needs to be viewed as if it were a glass jar. The biggest piece (let's say a large rock) represents the most important thing in your life right now. For me, it is my performace and commitment to medical school (for some people it might be a combination of medical school and their relationship with a significant other, etc). Then, the littlier pieces of rocks are to be placed. These rocks symbolise the extra-curricular/other social things that are important to you. For me, it is NMUN (which will be finished by the end of March - thank God), the Nuclear Weapons Inheritance Programme , and keeping healthy and active. Then, you place in the sand (which can represent different things for different people). In my case, it is all the other things (for the exception of my relationships) such as maintaining my home, social outings and functions and the like. The last thing that is filled is water. Water fills all the remaining holes and prevents the other items in the jar to 'hurt' the other things. For me, water represents my relationship with friends and family. They are the people that keep me afloat, they affirm my reasons for being the type of person that I am, and they will be the source of never ending support. The reason why this conversation came up between Ruth and I was that I know that I (and people like myself) have the tendencies of taking on too many extra-curriculars and making it more important than other things. Quite frankly, that has to stop here. I have arrived in Australia and my focus in on my medical education. That being said, I am going to New York for the NMUN conference in March, there is a possibility that I might be doing a medically related trip to South Asia in August, a 4-week international elective in November, and then I will be going to Calgary for the Christmas holidays. Yes, all this travelling is fun but I have to remember that I am here to embark on this journey of becoming something that I have always wanted to become. My extra-curriculars are important but they should not be more important than the reason why I am came to Australia.

Okay...wow. That was more intense than I wanted it to seem but I thought that it was necessary.

Alright, it's almost 5pm and I reckon that I should get going. I am still waiting to hear back from one lessor about the amazing flat. If I hear back tonight, then I will be able to set up tonight and realign my focus.